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McFarland

I pretty much thought we must be out of sports stories by now. How many teams can possibly start out dead-last but thanks to the inspiring speechifying of their devoted but grizzled coach, end up earning first? And of those teams, how many can overcome the prejudice of racism at the same time, convincing white folks who admire achievement that maybe these coloured folk aren’t so bad after all, because they sure are fast? And how many of these can possibly star Kevin Costner?

If you answered TOO DAMN MANY, then you, sir, are correct!

This movie doesn’t really do anything wrong other than steal from every sports movie that’s come before it. If it was the first of its kind, you might even call it good, or inspiring. But I’m going to call it neither, because I do not live under a rock. I’ve seen it all before. I’m tired of this formula, which was pretty thin to begin with.

(Blah)-ball is your way out of poverty… or your way to prove them all wrong… or your way to win your father/mother’s respect/love… or it’s our way to save the (town, school, disabled colleague etc). You can do this. I BELIEVE in you. You can sit through this formulaic movie and pretend you haven’t seen it a hundred times before. So come on guys let’s win this for (fill in the blank).

I usually read about whatever PG movies are out because my nine year old isn’t allowed to watch P-13 movies and there are hardly any G movies any more for some reason. (Why is that?) But I got the impression this one wouldn’t be worth anyone’s time, for pretty much these reasons.

Just think how the movie would have turned out if he played the character of the coach the way he played Pa Kent in Man of Super Steel. Maybe it is better if you left the team in the bus in that river or don’t try and out run that tornado. 🙂